A man in his forties was arrested Saturday for allegedly trying to murder a teenage girl after kidnapping and raping her for nearly two months in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, an official said.
"According to the complaint by the girl's family, the girl was missing since July 28. M. Raju had abducted the 16-year-old and kept her confined in a house under Bagdogra police station of Siliguri sub-division. He repeatedly raped her during this period," said Siliguri Deputy Commissioner O. G. Pal.
"Meanwhile, Raju's friends got to know that the girl's family had got to know about his whereabouts. Yesterday (Friday) he took her to a tea garden and attacked her with a knife to murder her. Drawn by the girl's shrieks, locals gathered and caught hold of Raju. We interrogated and arrested him today (Saturday)," Pal said.
The girl, a student of class 5, has been admitted at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri, with abdominal injuries.
Raju was produced in the court, which sent him to 14 days' judicial custody.